Archivio Segreto 
33 
government. 41 These volumes, of which 50, covering most of the years from 
1525 to 1766, are found in arm. 33 , numbers 40 - 90 , and others scattered in 
many places, should therefore contain nothing on America, and an examina¬ 
tion of number 90 , arm. 33 , and of many of the scattered volumes, confirmed 
this supposition. 
Instnimenta Cameralia. Arm. 34 contains 52 volumes of this designation, 
extending to 1586. They contain deeds and other legal documents. Volumes 
25 , 28 , 30 , and 31 were examined and found to contain no American material, 
nor did it seem probable, though not impossible, that the other volumes would 
prove more fruitful. 
Diversa Cameralia. The main collection of 253 volumes is found in arm. 
29 and 30 , but there are many volumes scattered elsewhere. It consists of 
letters, orders, and other writings of the cardinal camerlingo, of the clerks 
of the Camera, and even of the Pope. It extends from 1389 to 1585. Indice 
133 , De Pretis, gives the years covered by each volume, its material character¬ 
istics, the number of folios, and whether it contains an index or not. The 
material within the volumes is not arranged in strict chronological order. 
The contents are so extremely miscellaneous that examination is particularly 
laborious, and no volumes were completely exhausted, as it seemed that no 
information of value could be gained. The great bulk of the material has 
to do with the Papal States. Wirz, in 90 volumes, found 16 items relating 
to Switzerland. 42 
Other material in the Archivio Segreto of De Pretis relating to the Camera 
and of date subsequent to the discovery of America, is as follows: 
Arm. XXXIII. This contains volumes of qnindenae, taxae, decimae , and 
other special accounts. All the volumes of possible interest for 
America, 3 - 7 , 10 , 24 , 25 , 27 , 28 , 30 - 33 , 36 , 37 , were examined and 
found to contain nothing relevant. 
Arm. XXXVI., XXXVII. These contain volumes informationum camera- 
lium, of a miscellaneous character. Of these the registers of R. P. D. 
Bottini, from 1690 to 1708, arm. 37 , numbers 33 - 36 , were examined 
and found to contain nothing relevant. 
Collectoriae. This series perhaps belongs to the Archives of Avignon. 
Certainly the majority of the volumes were brought from there and the only 
inventory discovered is indice 145 , “ Indice delle Scritture d’Avignon, che 
loro stanno nella sala di sopra 1 ’Archivio Secreto nell’ Palazzo Apostolico di 
S. Pietro in Vaticano, 1671 ”. In this list, the numbers of the volumes have 
been corrected to date, but other volumes added to the series are not men¬ 
tioned. The collection stands accessible in the room for the study of unbound 
manuscripts, which renders an inventory less necessary. It contains reports 
and papers of papal financial agents resident in the various countries of 
Europe, who were often charged, before the establishment of resident nuncios, 
with important diplomatic missions. The total number of volumes is 504. 
They begin in 1337 and end before the discovery of America in the case of 
those countries whence American items might arise. At a later period the 
collectors, where that office remained, corresponded with the secretary of 
state, and many of their papers are found among the nunziature. 
n See pp. 60-61. 
42 Wirz, Bullen und Breven, p. xiii. 
